May 14, 2010

Friday's For the Guys - Shadow Children Series

Every Friday I highlight books and authors that are ones boys might really enjoy. I'm not saying girls wouldn't read these books, but they are clearly "guy" books.

This week I'm highlight:


Shadow Children Series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Why I think Boys Will Like It

This series got one of my "nonreaders" reading so much we had to take his book away from him! Love it!

This series is about a boy, Luke, who is a third child in a world where it is illegal to have more than 2 children.  Luke must be kept hidden.  Of course he doesn't! Boys like this series for several reasons.  They like Luke and the fact that he doesn't always listen to the rules - that he takes risks even if it means getting in trouble.  They also like that the book moves at a steady pace.  There aren't lags in the action, so there isn't much chance for boredom to set in.  And - they aren't deterred by it's size.  The books are on the short side, so many of my boys are willing to give them a try.  In contrast I was talking about The Red Pyramid (a book I know they'd love!). It is 530 pages.  Many boys were intersted until they heard the length! They won't do that with the Shadow Children books.

I also like that there are 7 books in the series, so if they do get hooked, they'll have several books to read.

From Goodread about book #1
Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.
Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows -- does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to? 


2 comments:

  1. You know, I've read the first six books and still haven't picked up that seventh one. I really liked the series (though it started to drag near the end, probably why I didn't finish it).

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  2. My students love these books! Good choice. :-)

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